Beloved youth baseball coach killed in argument at a barbershop

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) - Travel baseball teams in Alabama are mourning the loss of one of their coaches who was killed after an argument at a barbershop Saturday.

Police said 34-year-old Jorge Fonseca was with his family at a barbershop in Birmingham when Fonseca and another man got into an altercation. The two went outside, where police said the suspect pulled out a weapon and shot Fonseca.

Officers arrived at the scene and found Fonseca unresponsive. First responders performed life-saving measures, but Fonseca died at the scene.

The suspect was arrested a short time later at a different location.

Troy Whetstone, a friend of Fonseca’s, got a call from Fonseca’s wife and rushed to the scene on Saturday. He said it was the most difficult situation he’s faced in his life.

“I was with him and his son the night before,” Whetstone said. “His wife, his kids, everybody was right there [at the barbershop].”

Whetstone said Fonseca and his family were set to travel the next day to Panama City, Florida, for a travel baseball World Series tournament.

“I know everybody was in high spirits, getting ready to go on vacation and go to the world series in Panama City,” Whetstone said. “That’s the hurtful part - knowing that he didn’t get a chance to go this time.”

Whetstone met Fonseca at a batting cage in 2022, where both men were practicing with their sons as they learned to play baseball.

After hitting it off, Whetstone said Fonseca got involved in coaching travel baseball for some local teams, including Whetstone’s own Wow Factor 205 nonprofit. The two became close friends, traveling and mentoring their own children and others through the game of baseball.

After Fonseca’s death, Whetstone created an album on his phone of pictures and videos he had with Fonseca through the years. Looking over the album, Whetstone choked back tears as he recalled the happy memories of his time with Fonseca.

“We had just won a tournament,” he said of one video that showed Whetstone and Fonseca celebrating on a baseball field.

“My wife got this picture, this video of him. And it’s one of my favorites,” Whetstone said.

Whetstone remembered Fonseca as a dedicated coach in the travel baseball community with a big heart. He said Fonseca was great at working with kids others may have considered less talented on the ball field.

“Coach [Fonseca] was a loving man. And he inspired everybody to be great through love,” Whetstone said.

Many of Fonseca’s players, who knew him as “Coach George,” took the news of his death badly, according to Whetstone. Many of the kids he coached were between the ages of 7 and 9.

“Especially my son ... I’m pretty sure my son looked at Coach George as a second dad,” Whetstone said. “He was special. It was different. To have those types of coaches on your staff, it means the world. Especially to parents.”

Whetstone told WBRC there is an effort to organize an event to honor Fonseca. This story will be updated with those details when they are available.